Hungarian Wine

Hungarian wine has ancient origins, dating back to at least the 5th century, when the Romans occupied the land then known as Pannonia. The Huns, the Magyars, and other tribes who migrated into the country had a “Blood Treaty” ritual, dripping blood into wine and drinking it to seal pacts. Since the Romans had already done the work setting up the vineyards, the tribes could spend their time more wisely with the conquering and the pillaging. The 13th century Mongolian invasion laid waste to much of the cultivated land. King Bela IV brought peace to Hungary, and made it a priority to rebuild the vineyards, inviting people from other countries to bring in vines and grow a diverse wine culture. The towns Sopron and Eger became known for their high quality wines which were exported throughout Europe by the end of his rule in 1270, and Hungarian kings continued to emphasize wine production through various edicts. By the time of the 15th century rule of King Matthias Corvinus, Hungary had developed Read more »

Hungarian wine has ancient origins, dating back to at least the 5th century, when the Romans occupied the land then known as Pannonia. The Huns, the Magyars, and other tribes who migrated into the country had a “Blood Treaty” ritual, dripping blood into wine and drinking it to seal pacts. Since the Romans had already done the work setting up the vineyards, the tribes could spend their time more wisely with the conquering and the pillaging. The 13th century Mongolian invasion laid waste to much of the cultivated land. King Bela IV brought peace to Hungary, and made it a priority to rebuild the vineyards, inviting people from other countries to bring in vines and grow a diverse wine culture. The towns Sopron and Eger became known for their high quality wines which were exported throughout Europe by the end of his rule in 1270, and Hungarian kings continued to emphasize wine production through various edicts. By the time of the 15th century rule of King Matthias Corvinus, Hungary had developed into a flourishing source of wines, and Tokaj is first mentioned in written history.

Wine production suffered for a time when Hungary was under Turkish rule into the 17th century, with strict Muslim law forbidding alcohol consumption. Only a few small districts were able to continue, but always looking over their collective shoulders. In the 1630s, the serendipitous discovery of the condition known as Botrytis cinerea, or “noble rot” happened, as legend tells it, when a vineyard was temporarily abandoned during the harvest for fear of Turkish invaders. When the vintner returned, he discovered the condition on the grapes, but pressed the wine anyway, with delicious results. By the end of the 17th century (and the end of Ottoman rule), the wine became such an international success that Hungarian Prince Rakoczi was compelled to classify the vineyard sites. Also under this “vine law,” rules were established for vine training, irrigation techniques, and cultivation practices.

The Phylloxera crisis was a devastasting blow to Hungary, as it was to much of the world. Many of the traditional grapes died, and once replanting efforts went into effect, many of these were forsaken for more trendy and easier to grow grapes such as Bordeaux varietals (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc), Blaufrankisch (here called Kékfrankos), and Zweigelt for reds. White wines were mostly limited to the Tokaj varietals Muscat, Furmint, and Hárslevelű. Vineyards were once again destroyed during the World Wars, and during the age of Communism, wine production became hasty and industrial at best. It wasn’t until the late 1980s that producers once again turned to higher quality and working with traditional Hungarian varietals.

By far, the most famous wine from Hungary today is still Tokaj, which is its own region within Tokaj-Hegyalja in the northeast of the country. Tokaj Aszu, produced from the botrytised trifecta of white grapes mentioned above, is a prized sweet wine with intense richness and aromatics. These wines are labeled in degrees of sweetness and concentration measured in “puttonyos” from four to six. Some of the highest puttonyos Tokaj wines have been known to last decades. Essencia is the highest quality Tokaj, and the most expensive, produced from the precious viscous juice from dried grapes. It can only be produced in very small quantities.

Egri Bikavér is the red wine known as “Bull’s Blood.” It’s is produced all over Hungary, though the best are considered to be from Eger, in the northeast. This is a blend of Hungarian traditional and European international grapes Kadarko, Kékfrankos, Blauburger, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zweigelt, Merlot, and sometimes Syrah and Pinot Noir. The name supposedly comes from the Turks, who considered the locals in Eger so repugnant that they must have the blood of bulls. The name obviously stuck proudly, with a robust wine beloved by generations.

Other traditional grapes found in Hungary are for whites Olasrizling (Welschriesling), Leankya, and the hybrids Irsay Olver, Zefir and Zenit, among many others. Besides the grapes found in Egri Bikavér mentioned above, the most widely planted red grape is Kékoporto (Portugeiser).

There are now 22 official wine regions within Hungary, all of which are scattered around the country save for the land farthest east. Wines are produced in every style from dry whites and reds, rosés, sparkling, and sweet. Winemakers produce traditional styles alongside those who have embraced modern techniques, with organic and sustainable practices.

According to the Wine Institute, in 2015, over 28 million liters of wine were produced by sixty-three different wine producing countries. There are currently 195 different countries in our world, which means that a whopping one third of it is making wi...

A new year provides the perfect opportunity to try new things, but how far will you go? Many wine drinkers cling to familiar grape varieties or settle for what’s in easy reach. Don’t miss out, wine lover. There are between 5,000 and 10,000 varieties o...

Sweet hazelnuts on the nose with molasses and treacle. Beautiful golden caramel color. Intensely sweet, but with good acidity so it stays nicely balanced, and even fresh at times. Warm, rich caramel flavors, butterscotch and red apple notes. There's a ...

Lovely - crisp, vibrant, bracing. Had this beginning lunch. Medium mouthfeel and weight, but perfect as a starter. Did not have with food, but suspect this one would work wonderfully with food, just as it does alone. For the price or much higher, an in...

95 points.
In the glass this wine looks the way that it tastes; golden like sunshine. The color alone is impressive, with its intense liquid gemstone cast, but the nose is extraordinary. The blend of different components is fascinating. I immediately ...

Was expecting a lot from this given the praise and the fame and after tasting I have to say its very good but wasn't completely blown away. Very deep amber, good consistancy you would expect from a dessert wine. Rich, sweet with primarily apricot, peac...

Oh Ya! Picked up a bottle of this Late Harvest while on holiday in Kauai this week. Yumeeee. Golden color, light syrup body with good cling. Silky mouth feel. Mango aroma on the swirl. Golden Raisins was my thought at first sip, then the mango tas...

Chef De Carlo’s recipe for gnocchi is fantastic with the heady Wild Boar Ragu , but is equally delicious with a simple tomato sauce or a sage brown butter sauce .
What to buy: While we tested th... Read more »

Snoother - wine from Tokaj is most definitely not red. It's made all or ... from different regions in Hungary.In some cases, people don't want the wine to go through the secondary fermentation, the one that converts malic to lactic acid. Those wines tend to have a less pronounced buttery quality, but again, the butter notes can come from diffe...
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That I would like to try before I die that I have not already had?There are ... far as Spain and Italy and Hungary, I'd love to have had some of the ancient Tokaji-aszu wines before communism. I never had really old vintages of Unico, although I've had Rioja wines going back many decades, and I never had the 1982 or 1989 Haut Brion or Petru
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So Greece and Turkey are still in that map (perhaps not Crete); the main difference is dropping Hungary and adding Moldova when talking about 'The Balkans'. Well, one of my wines is from Hungary, so I'm keeping it in. However, another one of my wines (a nice one I might add) is from Moldova, which I didn't list. I could switch it up, but mayb...
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Well that's a bullshit map, in historical, cultural, ethnic, geopolitical ... ... out Greece, Turkey and Hungary and we're getting closer to what has been referred to in the most contexts during the 20th Century as 'The Balkans'. The former Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and Romania, basically. Problem states, all split up and 'balkanized', and which u...
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So Al, why did you include Hungary with the Balkans? Might as well add Austria and Bulgaria and Romania if you're going historical back to that old Empire. If you're talking wine similarities, then that's another kettle of fish. And of course Crete is way off in another direction. Why not Greece (not usually considered 'the Balkans')? Then how a...
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Max, we are hosting a wine tasting party this Saturday evening and the theme is ... the Balkans and Crete. Hungary is included in that group of the Balkans. Can you provide some insight on wines from Hungary? I have a link to some information but I surely will know more after the wine party! &nbs
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Hi. I am a new member of Smooth, and I am located in the EU, not far from Hungary, so I think I can offer you my experience in this issue. In november 2013 "Meraviglioso2" asked about the pharmaceutically effects of the Hungarian wines, especially of a Pinot Noir from a pharmacy. I do not think that Hungarian wines are more effective in the ther...